Honest confusion about Terracycle

Occasionally, as an eco-nut, I run across enthusiastic articles or videos about a company called Terracycle.  The idea is this:

Pragmatically speaking, modern humans just aren't going to give up using plastic.  Many kinds of plastic packaging have multiple layers of different stuff, making them functionally impossible to deal with in mainstream recycling facilities.   So, the story goes, TerraCycle works with manufacturers to figure out how to recycle their own products:  juice pouches, razors, what-have-you.   Here's an inspirational 13-minute video describing their work.

I guess in theory I ought to be a fan.  But there's so much I don't understand, and that makes joining in the fun tricky.

Terracycle has a bunch of free recycling programs, like this one to recycle Rubbermaid containers.

[Oooh, I mis-spoke: although Rubbermaid is teaming up with Terracyle, 

they'll take "well-used, plastic and glass food containers of any brand".]

Or, currently, if you use (and then dispose of) plastic razors, here's a recycling (which means "downcycling") program underway co-sponsored by Gilette, CVS, Fisher House, and Terracycle.  I use metal safety razors, so I don't have personal experience with this program either.

If I were the Monarch of the Universe (and I know I'm not), I'd make all producers of consumer goods responsible in whole or part for dealing with the whole lifecycle of their products, so I think programs like this are great! To participate, you go to that link, click around to get yourself a mailing label to print out, and then ship the containers off to them. 

Most of us, though, don't have a dedicated space in our home for separating out trash into so many discrete boxes, accumulating it until we have a full box, and then shipping it out.  So although I've printed out my label for this and for a couple of other programs they offer (Tide pods, Febreeze bottles), I haven't had a chance to put these into practice yet.

For those of us who don't want to keep track of garbage quite so minutely,  it is possible to buy a somewhat more general "recycling box" from Terracycle, and ship them your waste that they'll deal with by recycling appropriately.  For the Kitchen Separation Box, for example. they promise:

WHAT YOU CAN RECYCLE

Use this box to recycle any non-recyclable and non-organic waste that is generated in the kitchen. This includes items such as:

• Plastic packaging
• Paper Packaging
• Filters
• Cleaning accessories
• Coffee and tea accessories
• Party supplies and dining disposables
• Interior home furnishings
• Prescription drug packaging
• Fabrics and clothing

In practice, though, these boxes are amazingly costly.   The large box (15"x15"x37", or about 36 gallons), costs $346, and that doesn't seem to include shipping costs.  The smaller box -- about the size of a printer-paper box-- costs "only" $106.  It's not exactly clear how effective or efficient their recycling program is; what happens, for example, to the "prescription drug packaging"?    One would hope it would be environmentally milder than my current default of throwing it in the landfill-bound garbage, but all I can go on is hope.   Expensive hope.

It still seems like avoiding the waste in the first place is easier, cheaper, and more effective.  But I continue to be intrigued.  If anyone out there has experience with TerraCycle and wants to share, I'm all ears!